News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-03-24
THE NEW OPERA.
THE STORY OF "RUDDYGORE.D
Novel Condensed down INFO a Little
Sketch,


Sketch,
The story of the new opera ''Ruddy
gore" Is thus told: The scene of tn
first act is the fishing village of Reder
ring in Cornwall, "the only village il
the world that possesses an endowed
corps of professional bridesmaids, VIII
are bound to be on duty every day from
ten to four, " and it is with a melodiou
chorus sung by these ladies, in pale
colored, short wasted dresses, that tn
opera, after short overture, in which
some of the principal melodies are fore
Swallowed, commences. 1t is at least 81,
months since the official services of tn
bridesmaids have been called into requi
sltlon, and the pious charity by which
they exist Is being practically wasted
They are naturally anxious that some
body should lead Rose Maybud, the vii
lage beauty, to the altar, but, as t {
maiden is reported to look cOldly on lei
many suitors, appeal is made to Roses
aunt, Dame Hannah, to marry and save
them from disendowment. Dame Han
nah, however, is sworn to eternal maiden
hood. having once been betrothed to a
false youth who proved to be no other
than Sir Roderic Murgatroyd, one of the
bad baronets of Ruddygore, and it is
from her lips that we hear, in an effect
i've number, with very appropriate or
chestrial accompaniment, the legend on
which the plot is based. One Sir Rupert
Murgatroy d, in the time of King James
l., burned witch, who cursed him with
t. following penalty:
Each lord of Ruddygore, despite his best en-
deayOr,
Shall do one crime or more, once every day
forever.
This doom he can't defy, however he may tn,
For should he stay his hand, that day
In torture he shall die.
The last rightful successor to the
baronetcy, Sir Ruthven, E'who combines
the manners of a Marquis with the morals
of q Methodist in horror at the pros
pect of inheriting the title and its atten-
dant penalty, has fed from home and is
living disguised as Robin Oakapple, in
the village of Rederring. and his younger
brother Despard, believing him to be
dead, has assumed the title and estates
with their inseparable peccant litigation.
This obligation Sir Despard faithfully
fulfls, but if, as he explains it, his hands
are stepped in infamy, his heart is ''the
heart of little child The daily crime
is incumbent upon him, but gets it
over the first thing in the morning, and
the rest of the day is devoted to good
works. If he steals a child, he builds
an orphan asylum; if he Iobs a bank,
he endows bishopric; if he carries off
a maiden, he atOnes with q cathedral.
The maiden whom he is now intent upon
carrying of is Rose Maybud, the belle
of Rederring, for whom, however, Robin
Oakapple has conceived prior affection.
But Robin is shy and bashful, and fears
TO tell his love, and Rose is restrained
in her behavior by certain maxims de
rived by a wade mecum, whose solemn
preceptS have an all but sacred import
for her. Hung in plated dishcover
to the knocker of the workhouse door,
with naught that could call mine own
save change of baby linen and book
of etiquette. little wonder if l have al !
ways regarded that work as voice from
a parents tomb"
Help in his difficulty soon comes to
Robin in the person of his foster brother, |
Richard Dauntless, q man O'-wars man,
who arrives at the port and whose ad-
vent is heralded by a very effective |
chorus From the Briny Sea Comes |
Young Richard all Victorious" a spiri- |
ted and vigorous number, with very |
stirring accompaniment. His appear |
ance serves for the introduction of a |
diverting nautical song-"I Shipped |
dye See in Revenue Sloop'-foliowed |
by a sailor hornpipe Richard under |
takes to urge Robins suit with Rose |
Maybud, but the "honest sailor being |
himself impressed with the maiden's |
beauty and finding this here heart OF
nina . dScta.in, 10 me like anYtnlul,' -
prop ses on his own account and is &C
cepted. Rose, however, very soon dis
coveIs the treachery of her nautical lover
and transfers her affections to Robin,
but the opportune arrival of Sir Despard
Murgatroyd. accompanied by some 20
companions, all officers wearing various
handsome uniforms of the early part of
the present century, enables the sailor to
revenge himself by discovering the real
baronet, and Despard, now relieved from
the witch's curse, determines on leading
virtuous life and marrying mad Mar
garet, a maiden, who for love of him
had become demented for a time, and |
who in the earlier part of the act is given |
an important scene, burlesquing the |
mad scenes in Italian opera Overcome |
with despair at the fearful obligation |
which rests upon him, Robin sinks on
the ground, and the curtain falls on an
animated scene as the bridesmaids join |
with the officers and villagers in dance |
The scene of the second act is a PIC,
turc gallery in Ruddygore Castle, around |
the walls of which are placed full length |
portraits of the baronets of Ruddygore |
from the time of James I. Things are |
changed. The timid and pastoral Robin |
IS now Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, and |
wears the haggard aspect of the guilty |
roue- After he has given his consent |
to the wedding of Rose with Richard |
Dauntless, the wicked baronet Eliminates |
on his daily crimes, and apostrophises |
the pictures Of his forefathers. The |
stage darkens and the baronet's ances |
tors step from their frames and SO EMMY |
march round the stage Sir Ruthven is |
not committing his crimes in a conscien- |
tioUs and workmanlike manner, Eand the |
ancestors have come tc reprOYe him. As |
an earnest of better things he promises |
to carry off a lady. The spirits are sat
isied with his pledge and return to
their frames, and the wicked steward |
Auam is dispatched to carry off maiden |
and bring her to the castle. A grotesque |
scene succeeds between Sir Despard and |
mad Margaret, who have given up their
former ways, and who now appear as n
national school teacher and gentle dis
trict visitor respectively. Their duet, |
Il Once Was Very Abandoned Per-
son, is interspersed with dancing, in |
which each poses like ballerino. The |
steward returns with the captured dam
sci, who proves to be none other than
Dame Hannah In self defense she pre-
-Ssaares to strike at Robin with q dagger
and, in his agony of terror, he calls for
aid on his dead uncle Roderic. Roderic |
appears in response to the call, and |
Dame Hannah recognizes in him her |
lover of former days.
An idea suddenly occurs to Robin |
that. as Il Baronet of Ruddygore can only
die through refusing to commit his daily |
crime, such refusal, Inasmuch as it in |
wolves his death, is tantamount to sui !
eide, and as suicide is IN itself a crime |
aud consequently a satisfaction of the |
curse none Of his ancestors ought to |
have died Sir Rodcric, acquiescing in
this line Of argument, calls his fellow
ancestors from their frames. assuring
them that an application to the Supreme |
Court is all that Is necessary to prove |
that they ought never to have died at all;
the ancestors embrace the bridesmaids
and the work concludes with an effect
i've finale.
An AIaslan's Testimonial